A Certain Seasoning Might Be The Culprit Of Your Soggy Salad

If you've ever wondered why salads at restaurants taste so much better than the ones you make at home, one reason might be that restaurants tend to salt the greens. Salting a salad, however, can be a double-edged sword because salt draws the moisture out of most produce. While this process (called osmosis) might benefit a sturdier vegetable such as cabbage or eggplant, it's not so great for lettuce. According to Maricel Gentile, cookbook author and eponymous owner of Maricel's Kitchen, salt can be "bad for delicate greens" because, as she says, "They wilt and lose their crisp texture." She doesn't say you can't salt your salad, but rather advises: "Do it lightly just before serving."

Gentile also points out that salad dressings contain both salt and acid, explaining that "both break down the greens over time, making them soft." She goes on to say that "storing [dressed salad] in an air tight container will make it worse as it will trap moisture and the whole thing will become a soggy mess." If you've had the foresight not to dress your entire salad before dishing it up, her advice is to store the salad, toppings, and dressing separately. She also recommends sticking a paper towel in the container with the lettuce because it can help to soak up any moisture that may seep out.

The problem with leftover salad, as hinted at above, is that usually when you get to the point where you know there will be leftovers, you've already mixed in the toppings and dressing, which can't really be undone. You can always try storing the salad in a non-airtight container, but let's face it, it's still going to get soggy. This won't pose a problem if you're my dad, since he's always been fond of what he calls "dead salad." While he'll eat it on its own, he's more apt to use it as a sandwich topping, and really it's not bad at all in this role.

Other thrifty cooks have been known to repurpose dead salad (or wilted greens if you prefer a fancier term) in a soup or sauté and stir them into scrambled eggs. It's also possible to use leftover salad greens in place of basil in a pesto recipe or even toss them into a green smoothie. Unless you're really into unusual sweet and savory flavor combos, though, you may want to rinse the dressing off before you throw the salad in the blender with berries and bananas.